std testing and prevention

STDs

STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

Although an STD can be present in your body for years and still show no symptoms, the possibility of infecting your sexual partner(s) still exists. The only way to know for sure if you or your partner has been exposed to an STD is to get tested.

At Central Park Medical Associates, confidential and rapid STD testing is available for HIV, Herpes Simplex 1, Herpes Simplex 2, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis. Same-day treatment is also available for most STDs, including Genital Warts/HPV.

Also known as “The Genital Wart Treatment Center” of Central Park Medical Associates, we have been treating not only genital warts but all Sexually Transmitted Diseases for over twenty years. We specialize in the treatment of resistant, recurrent and difficult to treat cases of genital warts. Our expertise has earned the trust of our professional colleagues demonstrated by the number of patients referred to us from other medical offices.

Make an appointment today to discuss STD testing and your treatment options in our private, confidential and state of the art medical office.

We test for:

HIV

Genital Warts

Herpes I & II

Chlamydia

Syphilis

Gonorrhea

Hepatitis

And all other Sexual Transmitted Disease

At Central Park Medical Associates we have been testing and treating for all Sexually Transmitted Diseases including (but not limited to) Genital Warts, Ano-Genital Warts, Penile Warts, Rectal Warts, Vaginal Warts, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Gonnorhea, Herpes Simples, Genital Herpes, Oral Herpes, Herpes Simplex 1, Herpes Simplex 2. We have a CLIA certified lab which allows us to give you the answers you need while you wait. We have been specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of ALL STDs for the last 20 years.

The Role of STD Detection and Treatment in HIV Prevention – CDC Fact SheetTesting and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be an effective tool in preventing the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. An understanding of the relationship between STDs and HIV infection can help in the development of effective HIV prevention programs for persons with high-risk sexual behaviors.

What is the link between STDs and HIV infection?

Individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV infection if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. In addition, if an HIV-infected individual is also infected with another STD, that person is more likely to transmit HIV through sexual contact than other HIV-infected persons (Wasserheit, 1992).

There is substantial biological evidence demonstrating that the presence of other STDs increases the likelihood of both transmitting and acquiring HIV.

•· Increased susceptibility. STDs appear to increase susceptibility to HIV infection by two mechanisms. Genital ulcers (e.g., Syphilis, herpes, or chancroid) result in breaks in the genital tract lining or skin. These breaks create a portal of entry for HIV. Additionally, inflammation resulting from genital ulcers or non-ulcerative STDs (e.g., Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis) increase the concentration of cells in genital secretions that can serve as targets for HIV (e.g., CD4+ cells).

•· Increased infectiousness. STDs also appear to increase the risk of an HIV-infected person transmitting the virus to his or her sex partners. Studies have shown that HIV-infected individuals who are also infected with other STDs are particularly likely to shed HIV in their genital secretions. For example, men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV are more than twice as likely to have HIV in their genital secretions than are those who are infected only with HIV. Moreover, the median concentration of HIV in semen is as much as 10 times higher in men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV than in men infect only with HIV. The higher the concentration of HIV in semen or genital fluids, the more likely it is that HIV will be transmitted to a sex partner.

How can STD treatment slow the spread of HIV infection?

Evidence from intervention studies indicates that detecting and treating STDs may reduce HIV transmission.•· STD treatment reduces an individual’s ability to transmit HIV. Studies have shown that treating STDs in HIV-infected individuals decreases both the amount of HIV in genital secretions and how frequently HIV is found in those secretions (Fleming, Wasserheit, 1999). •· Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious. It is critical that all individuals, especially those with herpes, know whether they are infected with HIV and, if uninfected with HIV, take measures to protect themselves from infection with HIV.

•· Among individuals with both herpes and HIV, trials are underway studying if treatment of the genital herpes helps prevent HIV transmission to partners.

What are the implications for HIV prevention?

Strong STD prevention, testing, and treatment can play a vital role in comprehensive programs to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. Furthermore, STD trends can offer important insights into where the HIV epidemic may grow, making STD surveillance data helpful in forecasting where HIV rates are likely to increase. Better linkages are needed between HIV and STD prevention efforts nationwide in order to control both epidemics.

In the context of persistently high prevalence of STDs in many parts of the United States and with emerging evidence that the U.S. HIV epidemic increasingly is affecting populations with the highest rates of curable STDs, the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS and STD Prevention (CHAC) recommended the following:

•· Early detection and treatment of curable STDs should become a major, explicit component of comprehensive HIV prevention programs at national, state, and local levels;

•· In areas where STDs that facilitate HIV transmission are prevalent, screening and treatment programs should be expanded;

•· HIV testing should always be recommended for individuals who are diagnosed with or suspected to have an STD.

•· HIV and STD prevention programs in the United States, together with private and public sector partners, should take joint responsibility for implementing these strategies. CHAC also notes that early detection and treatment of STDs should be only one component of a comprehensive HIV prevention program, which also must include a range of social, behavioral, and biomedical interventions.

STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

An STD can be present in your body for years and still show no symptoms. The only way to know you or your partner have been exposed to an STD is to get tested. Call now to discuss your STD testing options with one of our experienced STD counselors.Confidential STD testing is available for Herpes type 1 & 2, HIV, Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Genital Warts as well as others.

At Central Park Medical Associates we are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of all STD’s.